complete re gel coat

[axkiker]

Hey I keep hearing that a complete re gel coat is very difficult to do on your own. Can someone fill me in why. I am a custom car painter and have recently done a few spot jobs on my boat with gel coat. Seems like really easy stuff to work with. I just sand , clean, spray then wet sand and buff. The stuff is 10 times easier to buff than clearcoat. I can see where the dry time makes things a little more difficult. Now I have not tried any big areas or hulls. So before I get into regelcoating the entire top half of my boat can someone fill me in on the specifics
thanks

[EXTREMEBOATS]

Sounds like you can perform the operation... Its just more work then may want to do.Picture this....You block sand the whole boat and do repairs. Now you spray many coats of gel. And it looks like a "coble stone" street, now the work... You start blocking it down to a 1200 or even1500 grit, get your buffer out and polish it.... Here's a common prob, if you sand thru anywhere you start over or you will have a "Halo" arond the spot. I have only done a few in 20 years and "I" wont do another. Now I do regel the bottoms when I restore a boat. Then paint it the rest of the way up. Feel free to call if you want more "encouragement"
Mike

[SmokinLowriderSS]

I just redid the gel on the bottom half of my Taylor SS
Purchased here:http://www.fibreglast.com/
Sand everything down (I went about 50 grit orbital), repair any damage/holes, whatever.
The layering goes as follows:
Color layer (or layers)
I sprayed red glitterflake so red glitter went in the clear layer over the top of the red layer.
Giltter sprayed in first clear layer.
spray 4 to 6 layers of clear.
Each layer needs to be .010 to .020" thick (a LOT thicker than paint).
Last layer needs to be sprayed with Styrene wax additive in the gel to fully harden it. From Fibreglast, the earlier layers (well, all the layers) are mixed 1:1 with a clear gloss additive which both thins the gell and allows it to partly harden in air.
Begin wet-sanding. I worked 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grits before rubbing compound, then polishing compound. I used a B&D 1/3 sheet finish sander and a LOT of water in an old windex bottle.
I used a standard, ordinary suction gun, 1.8mm tip, and had zero trouble. Have LOTS of acetone handy, and DO NOT let the gell set up on you in tehe gun!

[EXTREMEBOATS]

Man that makes me hurt.... reading your directions that is...LOL brought out the joyful memory of the last one I did. Not being a smart ass, I am only stressing the amount of work involved. When your done you'll understand. Its a good feeling!!! being done that is... Good luck man.... post pics as you go...
Mike

[axkiker]

well heck looks like I may just paint the entire top half. I really didnt wanna be putting paint on top of gel but if thats the amount of work needed heck with all that.
thanks again

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Just don't expect paint to take ANY kind of abrasive wear. IMRON might be slightly more UV stable to not yellow a bit, but it scratches EASY. Any sand in a shoe, on a foot, on a towel wiping water off the boat, etc. Anything bumps it, scrathes or marks it where gel has much more hard-surface resilience.

[V1800J]

Smokin'
What size flake did you use on your hull. I'm trying to decide on whether to do it like you did it or put the flake on with the "flake buster" which is a device that blows dry flake onto wet clear and then you clear coat over that. Also, was you satisfied with your results.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

.015” polyester flakes compatible with our #173 Gel Coat - From Fibreglast.
I had zero clog trouble with Fibreglast's stuff and a 1.8mm gun tip.
I set red flakes in clear, ovger a layer of red pigmented. Looks just like new.

[victorfb]

i am in the process of re gel coating my 20' cruiser. it had the metal flake in all the graphics like the hockey sticks, on top the bubble, ect. i laminated 10 mil wood veneer in place of all the metal flake and glassed it all in. then i sprayed three differant colors of red 1/2" stipes surrounding all the wood inlay. a cool trick i found for getting nice thick and very clean lines to eachother was to use 20 mil plumbers tape. it has a thick striaght edge to build the gel real thick and clean so when you pull the tape and spray the next color, the two colors have a very clean parting line. just make sure to spray over the first color about a 1/16 or 1/8" then sand it down. youll be amazed on how clean the parting lines come out. i was. the rest is a white and instead of all the sanding and buffing, there is a very clear gel made by duratech. you sand the colors smooth with 400 and spray the clear. its self leveling and like paint, it dries shiney. in this clear will be a very fine mist of glass flake for that little sparkle look. i used the duratech in the bildge and sprayed it right over the sprayed white gel with red spakles with no sanding and it looks real nice. just some info for those that dont want to do all the sanding and polishing of traditional gel coating.
oh and with the plumbers tape deal, i cut the 2" wide rolls of tape in half with a band saw so i get twice as much. at 6 bucks a roll its a good idea. plus the tape is like electrical tape and extremely easy to make bends and such. just remember to use the factory edge if you try that trick.

[flat broke]

Vic,
If you don't mind me askin, why didn't you try and mix the Duratec in with the gel instead of going base/clear? They make the additive which supposedly does the same thing. I'll be getting ready to shoot on mine in a couple weeks and I'd like to get some more info on this subject before I buy my gel.
I believe Wallygator used the Duratec mixed with gel, but I haven't seen him on the boards in a long time, and the last time I got a PM from him, he was finishing up re-doing the gel on his rig and would post pics when he was done.
Chris